Electric gas-lighter



(No Model.)

H. H. CUTLER.

ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTER.

N0. 445,728. Patented Feb.3,18 91.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY ll. CUTLER, OF NEVTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC GAS-LIGHTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,728, dated February3, 1891.

Application tiled March l5, 1890.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY H. CUTLER, of Newton, county of Middlesex,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Gas-LightingApparatus, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a speciiication, like letters and figures onthe drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to a gas-lighting apparatus especially intended forlighting streetiamps, said apparatus comprising appliances for turningon and igniting the gas and for turning oii" the gas, so constructedthat a large number of said devices can be included in one circuit inseries with one another and acted upon by powerful currents, such asemployed for electric lighting, it being necessary only to apply saidcurrents for a very short time in order to effect the turning on andlighting of the gas.

The invention is embodied in an apparatus in which the valve-operatingmechanism is inclosed in a tight chamber communicating with and formingpart of the gasway, the said devices being actuated by an electroinagnetoutside of the said chamber, but having its poles extend through thewall of the chamber and into the interior thereof. The valve-operatingdevices are so constructed that alternate operations ot' the magnet openand close the valve, which remains in the position in which it wasplaced by the energizing of the magnet during the time that the magnetsubsequently remains demagnetized, and is thrown to the other positionthe next time that the magnet is energized. The ignition is produced bythe incandescence of a stout piece of refractory carbon included incircuit with the magnet and held between spring-pressed clamps thatafford a good contact between the said carbon and the more conductivematerial of 4which the electrodes are composed.

Figure l is a front elevation, partly in section, of a gas-lightingapparatus embodying this inventiomshown in the position occupied whenthe gasvalve is closed; Fig. 2, a similar View showing the parts in theposition occupied when the valve is open; Fig. 3, a detail showing thearmature in plan view; Fig. 4, a detail of the part that actuates theSerial No. 343,991. (No model.)

shifting device by which alternate but similar movements of the armatureare caused to open and close the valve; Fig. 5, a rear elevation of thevalve-operating mechanism, and Fig. 6 a detail showing a portion of saidmechanism in end elevation.

The apparatus comprises a base or casting a., adapted to be connectedwith the end ot' the gas-supply pipe, and preferably insulated therefromby a bushing h of insulating material interposed between the base-piecea and the gas-pipe. rllhe said piece a is cup-shaped, and is providedwith a removable cap or bonnet a2, which, together with the piece a,incloses a chamber ai', forming part of the gasway, the said chamberbeing provided with an outlet-pipe a, to which the tip or burner propera5 is connected in the usual manner. The chamber a3 contains the movingparts that operate the gas-valve, as will be described, and which areactuated by an electro-magnet c, the poles c2 of which extend throughthe bonnet a2, making, however, a tight joint therewith and projectingdown inside the chamber as, as shown.

rllhe back strap of the magnet is composed of an iron plate c3,supported on the gastip a* at proper height and provided with suitablebinding-posts d d2 d3 for the circuit connections, which will behereinafter described, while above the magnet and near the tip issupported a block of insulating material e, which sustains and insulatesfrom one another and from the burner two conductingbrackets ff?,provided at their upper ends with guides f5, in which work slidingmetallic clamps or slides f4, which are pressed toward one another bysprings f5, so as to clamp a short stout incandescent bar g betweenthem. The ends of the slides fl are socket-ed to receive a considerableportion of the length of the bar g within them, as shown in Fig. l, andmake an extremely perfect electrical connection between the said slidesand said bar, which is of much higher resistance than the other portionsot' the circuit, so that it bccomes heated to incandesccnce by thecurrent passing through it. A piece of hard graphite or somewhat impurecarbon, such as commonly used in hard-lead pencils, is very eiiicientfor the incandescent ignitor g, as its resistance is high, causing it toglow suili` IOO ciently to ignite the gas, and it is also veryrefractory, so that it will last a very long time with the amount ofusage required for lighting the gas.

The main circuit may be connected,as shown at 2, with one of thebinding-posts, as d, which is connected with one terminal of the magnetc, as shown at 3, the other terminal of said magnet being connected, asshown at 4, with the binding-post d2, which is connected, as shown at 5,with one of the brackets, as f, while the other bracket f2 is connected,as shown at 6, with the binding-post d3, from which the main lineextends, as shown at 7,

to the next apparatus. Thus a current of suflicientstrength in the line2 7 causes the magnet c to be energized and the ignitingbar g top beheated suiiiciently to light the gas if it is at the same time permittedto escape from the burner-tip c5. The energizing of the magnet c for aninstant causes lthe valve to be shifted from open to closed position,and the reverse, and then' retains it in said position until the magnetis again energized by the following means: The valve proper h, as shownin this instance, consists of an insuitable liquid, preferably mercury,to asu-fcient depth, as indicated at t3, so that wheny the cup rests onthe bottom of the recess, as shown in Fig. 1, it seals the annularpassagetz and shuts oif the gas from the interiorof the chamberapreventingits passagethroughl the outlet-tip a4 to the burner. When,however, the said cup is raised, as shown in Fig.; 2, the gas can passinto the chamber, as shown by the arrows, and pass out through the pipea4 to the burner. l

The valve h is connected with a lyoke or cross-bar h2, havingpassages toengage with:

guide-,pins k, projecting down from "the bonnet-'piece a2 of thechamber, and said crossbar is adapted to be engaged by hooksm, con-`nected with an armature m2for the magnet c, said armature also havinglopenings and working on the guide-pin k and being provided, as shown, inthis instance withla c entral guide-pin m3, working in the bore oftheoutlet-tube CL4, (see Fig. 1,) said pinhaving a head m4, Whichiitsloosely within said tube,

vand is perforated or star-shaped topermit the flow of ggas by itthrough the tube. Thus it Will be seen that when the magnet is energizedthe valve will be lifted by the attractive movement of the armature m2to the position shown in Fig. 2, thus opening the gasway, and willremain in this position so long as the magnet remains energized. It isdesirable, however, that the magnets should only be energized a veryshort time, not over a few seconds at a time, and it is thereforenecessary to provide means for retaining the valve open 'after themagnet has been demagnetized and the armature permit-ted to fall, and asthe same movement of the armature is depended upon kto both open andclose the valve it is necessary that the contrivance should be soarranged that after the valve is opened for the purpose of lighting itshall remain open until the magnet is again acted upon, when the ensuingmovement of the armature will again close the valve and leave it closeduntil the next movement of the armature, and s0 on. This result isattained by a shifting valveholder o, pivoted at 02 'upon a stud orprojection 03 from the bonnet a2, and provided with a cam projection o4below the pivot, which is Vfshaped, and has its point lcarried from oneto the other side of the line of the pivot as the said shifter isrockedon said pivot. The armature m2 carries a laterally-yielding arm p,(shown in plan view in Fig. 4,) Whichnorthe. point of the cam o4,according as the shifter o is in `one or the other position. One end ofthe said shifter is also provided with a supporting projection or hook05, which o ooperates withl a pin h3, connected with the `valve h or itscross-bar h2.' When the armature is raised, the arm p will pass to thatside ofthe cam o4 which extends to .the side of the rocking piece o thatis then lowestpand vas the armature m2 continues its upward movement thepin will finally act on thesaid ,piece o and rock it to the otherposition, at the same time shifting its cam with relation to the arm p,so that at the next rise of the' said arm from below it will pass tothe' other side of the cam and rock the `shifting plate in the otherdirection, so that alternate movement of the armature rocksV `the platefrst to one and then to the other side. When `the said plate is rockedin one direction to -the position shown in Fig. 2, the hooko5 willlengage the pin h3, and thus sustain the vvalve Auntil the shiftingpiece ois rocked to the other Iposition, when the projection h3 andvalve `will be no longer supported, but will drop, together with thearmature, leaving the valve .closed until the next operationvof thearmature. When the valve is closed, the partsare normally in theposition shown in Fig. 1, ,and a single action of the armature raisesthe valve and also tilts the shifting piece ofrom the position in Fig. 1to that shown in Fig. 2, in which its hook o5 engages the projection h3and retains the valve in open position, al

though the armature may be immediately afterward released and dropped toits lowest i or normal position, as shown in Fig. 1. Then the nextmovement of the armature will tilt the piece 0 in the other direction,so that When it descends the valve Will no longerbesupported and willdescend with it and shut olf the gas.

-In order to insure the proper action-of the shifting piece 0 and toprevent it from becoming accidentally shifted from one to the other`position, except When acted upon by the magnet, the said piece isprovided with a .85 mally stands directly under the pivot o2, and @isconsequently at one or the other `side ofV IOC IIO

locking` or retaining;` projection r (see Figs. 5 and 6) at its rearside when viewed in the position shown in Figs. l and 2, the saidprojection co-operating with an arm r2, carried by the armature m2;which when the said armature is in unattracted position lies in the pathof the projection fr on the shifting piece, preventing it from moving tothe other side of the arm r2; but when the armature is raised the saidarm r2 passes above the projection r, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. G,thus permittingr the said projection to pass to the other side of thearm 'r2 in the sudden shifting of the piece o, which is then acted uponby the spring-arm p in the proper direction to shift it and carry itsprojection fr from one to the other side of the arm r2. The arm r2 thusconstitutes a lock which prevents the piece o from shifting when thearmature is retracted, but permits it to shift under the spring actionof the arm p when the armature reaches its attracted position, the arm phaving been pressed against the shittingr piece 0 in the properdirection to shift it during the attractive movement of the armature. Bythis means an exceedingly positive operation of the valve is produced,it being practically impossible to get the valve out of time with thealternate actions of the magnet, so that the act of energizingthe magnetat any time will reverse the position of the valve, opening it if it hasbeen closed and closing it if it has been standing' open.

The apparatus is adapted to work with I powerful currents, an d is veryuseful in streetlighting plants in which gas and electric lamps are bothused, as the electric current can be thrown onto the gas-lighting,circuit for an instant, either to light or extinguish the gas lamps, asmay be required, and may be used the remainder of the time for operatingthe electric lamps.

I claiml. In agas-lighting apparatus, the combination, with theburner-tip, of insulated brackets adjacent to said burner-tip providedwith guides, a spring-pressed sliding clamp Working in said guides, andan incandescent conductor working in said clamps, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

2. The combination of an electro-magnet and armature with a valve, ashifting valveholder, and a lock for the latter, all operated by thesaid armature, the said lock preventing the said support from shiftingexcept when the armature is moved to operate the lock, valve, andvalve-support, substantially as described.

3. The combination of an electro-magnet and armature with a valve, ashifting valveholder provided with a V-shaped cam, and a spring-armcarried by said armature and cooperating With the said valve-holder toshift the same at alternate movements of said armature, substantially asand for the purpose described.

4- The combination of an electro-magnet and armature with a valve, ashifting-valve holder provided with a V-shaped cam, and a spring-armcarried by said armature and cooperating with the said valve-holder toshift the same at alternate movements of the said armature, andco-operating locking projec-4 tions on said shifting valve-liolder andarmature, whereby the holder is prevented from shifting except when thearmature arrives at or near its attracted position, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing' witnesses.

HENRY Il. CUTLER.

